Energy cost and energy sources of a ballet dance exercise in female adolescents with different technical ability

This study evaluated energy cost and energy sources of a ballet exercise (grand adage) in young female dancers with different technical ability, and then related the energy sources to the subject’s \( \ifmmode\expandafter\dot\else\expandafter\.\fi{V}{\text{O}}_{{2\max }} \) and anaerobic threshold (IAT). Twenty-five dancers (13–16 years) were divided into two different technical ability groups: low-level (n = 13) and high-level (n = 12). The overall energy requirement of dance exercise (VO_2eq) was obtained by adding the amount of VO₂ during exercise above resting (aerobic source or VO_2ex) to the VO₂ up to the fast component of recovery (anaerobic alactic source or VO_2al) and to the energy equivalent of peak blood lactate accumulation (anaerobic lactic source or \( V\text{O}_{\text{2la}^{-}} \)) of recovery. VO_2eq of exercise amounted to 81 ± 10 and 94 ± 9 ml kg⁻¹ in low-level and high-level groups, respectively. VO_2ex represented the higher fraction (65 ± 4% and 77 ± 5%) in low-level and high-level groups, respectively, of VO_2eq in both the groups. In the low-level group the remaining fractions were: 23 ± 2 % for VO_2al and 12 ± 1% for \( V\text{O}_{\text{2la}^{-}} \). In high-level group the remaining fractions were: 18 ± 2 % for VO_2al and 4 ± 1% for \( V\text{O}_{\text{2la}^{-}} \). Between two groups, significant differences were found in VO_2ex (P < 0.01), \( V\text{O}_{\text{2la}^{-}} \) (P < 0.01), and VO_2al (P < 0.05). IAT was 55 and 60% of \( \ifmmode\expandafter\dot\else\expandafter\.\fi{V}{\text{O}}_{{2\max }} \) for low-level and high-level dancers, respectively. Low-level dancers performed more exercise above IAT than high-level. For these reasons, it should be better to define exercise intensity according to the IAT parameter and not only to \( \ifmmode\expandafter\dot\else\expandafter\.\fi{V}{\text{O}}_{{2\max }} . \)